Tuesday Fulham Stuff (20/09/11)...

[WhiteJC]

 
Third Kit 2011/12

2011/12 Third Kit
The brand new Fulham Third shirt for the 2011/12 season is now available for you to pre-order for delivery on the official launch day, Sunday 2nd October.

The new Third shirt has the striking gold features, embroidered Ominis to both shoulders, FxPro branding and a small FFC logo to reverse of the collar. A great colour that is sure to make you stand out in the crowd.

However there is an extra special feature to the shirt which will be fully revealed on Monday 26th September.

10% Season Ticket Holder discount
Season Ticket Holders also get a 10% discount throughout the season, so remember to stock up on your Fulham FC goods,and pre-order the new Third shirt today!



Read more: http://www.fulhamfc.com/Club/News/NewsArticles/2011/September/ThirdKit201112.aspx?#ixzz1YPrc4Jgf

[WhiteJC]

 
Jol on that Comeback!

Yesterday, down by the Thames, was one of those afternoons that make football such a wonderful game.

Trailing 2-0 and coming back to snatch a point made the long traipse home seem like a short stroll.

What is it about Manchester City and our ability to produce a comeback?

Yesterday had me thinking about the Diomansy Kamara inspired comeback on their patch, another sublime afternoon.

After the game, Martin Jol seemed quite pleased that we`d rescued a point from what looked like an impossible situation remarking,

"The spirit will always be 100 per cent if you get the results and we didn`t have the results - it was as simple as that. I felt like we had nothing, with only two points, and the players felt the same."

"But to show against a team like Manchester City that you can come back and score two goals, must have given us a big boost and confidence for the future."

"We were a little bit tired but you could see they were as well, after playing in midweek."

"It was a fantastic achievement to come back against them because I don`t think they`ll give away leads like that in the future."

The comeback also saw us lift ourselves off the bottom of the Premier League, another fact Jol was acutely aware of remarking,

"It was awful being at the bottom. You have to win your home games. It was not a nice thing to see we were bottom of the league."

"Now we`re 18th and that`s better than being bottom of the table.

It certainly is!



Read more: http://www.fulham.vitalfootball.co.uk/article.asp?a=256083#ixzz1YPruCrYT

[WhiteJC]

 
Rosales reveals Ruiz praise
Youngster commended by Ruiz after taking new role at Twente

FC Twente's Roberto Rosales says former team-mate Bryan Ruiz has been in touch to congratulate him on his recent performances on the wing for the Dutch club.

Rosales, formerly a right-back, has taken over on the right flank in place of Ruiz, who left Enschede for Fulham last month.

The 22-year-old Venezuelan provided three assists in his new role against ADO Den Haag at the weekend, having previously impressed when Twente took on Fulham in the UEFA Europa League last week.

And he claims his displays have not gone unnoticed by the departed Ruiz.

"After the game against Fulham, Bryan phoned to say that I had played some good crosses," he told De Telegraaf.

"This position is not entirely new to me. In Venezuela and at (former club) Gent, I have also played this role.

"It does not really matter to me what position I play, but when I play."

Frustrating

Rosales, who helped Venezuela to fourth place in this year's Copa America in the summer, is pleased to be seeing more action after finding playing time limited in the opening few games.

"That was frustrating, but luckily I now have a chance," he added.

"In Venezuela, we had a great tournament - we came in fourth. That had never happened and led to a huge celebration in Caracas.

"Then I just had a week's holiday. But I feel OK now."






http://www.skysports.com/story/0,,11915_7189434,00.html?

[WhiteJC]

 
ZAMORA HAPPY TO PLAY IT SAFE

Bobby Zamora has played down the seriousness of his ankle problem, despite admitting he is happy to have his game time rationed by Fulham manager Martin Jol.

Zamora has been troubled by stiffness in the joint in recent weeks and Jol is refusing to take any chances with a player who suffered ligament damage when breaking his right leg a year ago.

The striker's five-month absence saw the Cottagers slump into the Barclays Premier League drop zone and he looks equally crucial to their chances of staying up this year, with the club losing all three games he has missed.

Zamora was held back for the 2-2 draw with Manchester City after starting Thursday night's Europa League match with FC Twente on the bench, a decision he had no problem with.

"In terms of my ankle, I'd rather rest to be honest," he said.

"Obviously, I want to play. The European nights are nice but, at the minute, we want to get points in the Premier League.

"The gaffer said, 'We'll rest you for this one', so I can come on or whatever."

Insisting the problem was not a longer-term concern, the 30-year-old added: "It's stiffness more than anything in the ankle joint but we're working on getting it looser after the injury.

"It's still a little bit niggly but I'm trying to keep on top of it.

"Hopefully, I can get 100 per cent fit and carry on.

"It's just a disruptive injury that I had last year, this year, that flared up a little bit."

Zamora shrugged off any discomfort to kick-start Fulham's comeback in Sunday's 2-2 draw with Manchester City.

The Cottagers were heading for a defeat that would have rooted them to the foot of the table when Zamora's brilliantly-controlled finish made it 2-1, with Danny Murphy sealing a point that lifted the home side up to 18th.

Zamora said: "It seems like a win to us, from 2-0 down to a team that have absolutely set the league alight this season.

"It's a great point for us and kickstarted us, I think, into carrying on."

It was the first time this season Fulham had showed a real ruthlessness in front of goal at Craven Cottage.

Zamora, who also found the net in last weekend's 1-1 draw with Blackburn, said: "We look back at the Blackburn game, we had something like 46 crosses, which is unreal.

"Apparently, it's 26 crosses in a game and you win and to get 46 and just to come away with a point was slightly disappointing.

"This place is a fortress for us and we've always done well here so hopefully we can continue that, kick on.

"One win and we're up the table, so it means nothing at the minute in terms of looking at the table.

"I don't think you can tell anything until a good 10-15 games into the season."

It is vital Zamora maintains form and fitness, something that could also yield an England recall.

"It's obviously an honour to play for England or even be in the squad, so I'll keep working away," said the forward, who injury has prevented adding to his solitary cap.

"I'll just keep working here and if I do get in there then brilliant."

Zamora is set for another rest on Wednesday when Fulham travel to west London rivals Chelsea in the Carling Cup third round.

Jol, who could still be without Andy Johnson, Aaron Hughes and Dickson Etuhu, said: "There will be a lot of changes."





http://www.sportinglife.com/football/premiership/news/story_get.cgi?STORY_NAME=soccer/11/09/19/SOCCER_Fulham_Nightlead.html

[WhiteJC]

 
Fulham striker Zamora content to rest in order to protect his troublesome ankle

Bobby Zamora has played down the seriousness of his ankle problem, despite admitting he is happy to have his game time rationed by Fulham manager Martin Jol.

Zamora has been troubled by stiffness in the joint in recent weeks and Jol is refusing to take any chances with a player who suffered ligament damage when breaking his right leg a year ago.

The striker's five-month absence saw the Cottagers slump into the Barclays Premier League drop zone and he looks equally crucial to their chances of staying up this year, with the club losing all three games he has missed.


Pulling the trigger: Bobby Zamora (right) scores against Manchester City

Zamora was held back for Sunday's 2-2 draw with Manchester City after starting Thursday night's Europa League match with FC Twente on the bench, a decision he had no problem with.

'In terms of my ankle, I'd rather rest to be honest,' he said.

'Obviously, I want to play. The European nights are nice but, at the minute, we want to get points in the Premier League.
'The gaffer said, 'We'll rest you for this one', so I can come on or whatever.'

Insisting the problem was not a longer-term concern, the 30-year-old added: 'It's stiffness more than anything in the ankle joint but we're working on getting it looser after the injury.

'It's still a little bit niggly but I'm trying to keep on top of it.

'Hopefully, I can get 100 per cent fit and carry on.

'It's just a disruptive injury that I had last year, this year, that flared up a little bit.'

Zamora shrugged off any discomfort to kick-start Fulham's comeback in Sunday's 2-2 draw with Manchester City.


Level: Danny Murphy celebrates with Zamora after scoring Fulham's equaliser

The Cottagers were heading for a defeat that would have rooted them to the foot of the table when Zamora's brilliantly-controlled finish made it 2-1, with Danny Murphy sealing a point that lifted the home side up to 18th.

Zamora said: 'It seems like a win to us, from 2-0 down to a team that have absolutely set the league alight this season.
'It's a great point for us and kickstarted us, I think, into carrying on.'

It was the first time this season Fulham had showed a real ruthlessness in front of goal at Craven Cottage.

Zamora, who also found the net in last weekend's 1-1 draw with Blackburn, said: 'We look back at the Blackburn game, we had something like 46 crosses, which is unreal.

'Apparently, it's 26 crosses in a game and you win and to get 46 and just to come away with a point was slightly disappointing.

'This place is a fortress for us and we've always done well here so hopefully we can continue that, kick on.


All change: Martin Jol will rotate his squad for Fulham's clash with Chelsea

'One win and we're up the table, so it means nothing at the minute in terms of looking at the table.

'I don't think you can tell anything until a good 10-15 games into the season.'

It is vital Zamora maintains form and fitness, something that could also yield an England recall.

'It's obviously an honour to play for England or even be in the squad, so I'll keep working away,' said the forward, who injury has prevented adding to his solitary cap.

'I'll just keep working here and if I do get in there then brilliant.'

Zamora is set for another rest on Wednesday when Fulham travel to west London rivals Chelsea in the Carling Cup third round.

Jol, who could still be without Andy Johnson, Aaron Hughes and Dickson Etuhu, said: 'There will be a lot of changes.'




Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2039264/Fulham-striker-Bobby-Zamora-happy-rest-ankle.html#ixzz1YTGMjPwq

[WhiteJC]

 
Fulham 2 – 2 MAN CITY – MY THOUGHTS

At the final whistle, it felt like a defeat. Controlling the game at 2-0 against a side who started the day bottom of the table, we really should not have ended up with just a point. But writing this the day after, there has been time for perspective to kick in. It's still disappointing but not quite as deflating as yesterday. Had you offered Roberto Mancini thirteen points from a possible fifteen before the campaign had commenced, he would surely have taken it. This result should not mask our impressive start.

Fulham should be commended for their battling spirit. It would have been all too easy to fold once Sergio Aguero scored the second of his goals but they fought back well and deserved the point. We are correct to feel disappointed but we don't have a right to win every game. There will be games in which we struggle, look lethargic and drop points. It's how we bounce back that is the key.

That doesn't mean we should ignore what went wrong at Craven Cottage, however, and one of the most worrying aspects for me was how tired we looked. This was the first time we've had a midweek game followed by one at the weekend and we were leggy. Mancini only made two changes and I'm sure that was part of the problem, as Yaya Touré and Gareth Barry in particular were off the pace.

To be fair to the manager, without the injured Nigel De Jong and James Milner, plus the not yet match fit Owen Hargreaves, he didn't have much room for manoeuvre in midfield, but it was noticeable how exhausted we looked. This is something we must improve upon, and quickly, as playing twice in the space of three of four days will become the norm as the season progresses.

As mentioned above, De Jong was missing and his importance was highlighted in this game, as it had been too against Napoli. It's all well good when we're defeating the likes of Swansea and Wigan comfortably, but against sides who break with pace and have bite in the midfield, without the Dutchman we look weak. Yaya and Barry are not holding midfielders in the recognised sense, and both Napoli and Fulham exploited the space in front of our defence.

De Jong patrols that area and makes us less susceptible to the counter attack, and it is hoped that Hargreaves, when fit, can do the same job. Without them, we were so open and it was all too easy for Fulham get at Vincent Kompany and Joleon Lescott. Yaya, so outstanding last Wednesday, was back to his disinterested, lazy self, and must learn that he can't pick and choose which games to work in.

On a more positive note, it was pleasing to see Gael Clichy produce another impressive display. He's a bundle of energy and willing down the left, provides an attacking thrust and has shown himself to be solid enough at the back. He's far more cultured in possession than Aleks Kolarov and better defensively. Mancini needs to stick by the Frenchman and not continue to alter the fullbacks every game.

Opposition View: For the first hour so, Fulham were insipid, failing to get tight enough to our playmakers. They allowed us to control the game and didn't pose any sort of threat to our defence. However, once they took the game by the scruff of the neck, they were a different outfit. They exploited the vast space between our midfield and defence, and deserved their point. Moussa Dembélé really impressed me and if they can cope with playing in the Europa League as well as domestic matters, they could have a decent season.

So onwards we go to the Birmingham game in the Carling Cup and I'm sure there will be plenty of changes to the side. Carlos Tévez, Adam Johnson and Mario Balotelli will all get run outs, and we will see the return of Kolo Touré. A win on Wednesday and the feelgood spirit will be back.




http://www.viewfromablue.com/2011/09/19/fulham-2-2-man-city-my-thoughts/?

[WhiteJC]

 
Jol ready to rotate for Chelsea
by DAN on SEPTEMBER 19, 2011

Martin Jol is prepared to ring the changes for Fulham's Carling Cup tie at Chelsea this week.

The Fulham boss has been encouraged by the performances of his fringe players and is ready to offer them an opportunity to shine in Wednesday's local derby at Stamford Bridge, with a tough trip to West Brom to follow three days later.

We have 22 players now. There is a lot of youngsters and I have to integrate them.

Jol was particularly impressed by Pajtim Kasami's impact off the bench against Manchester City yesterday.

Kasami has showed he can be a part of the squad. That's good for us. We can play with a different team on Wednesday. I can still sleep on it for a few days.

England under-21 international Matthew Briggs could replace John Arne Riise at left back, while Philippe Senderos could return to the centre of defence as Aaron Hughes is likely to miss out with a groin problem. Marcel Gecov could make his Fulham debut in central midfield, whilst winger Kerim Frei could be handed another chance to shine after his promising displays in Fulham's early European games.



http://hammyend.com/index.php/2011/09/jol-ready-to-rotate-for-chelsea/?

[WhiteJC]

 
Fulham fightback frustrates City

LONDON, 18 SEPT: Manchester City dropped their first Premier League points of the campaign after squandering a two-goal lead in a 2-2 draw at Fulham on Sunday.

Roberto Mancini's side appeared on course for victory when Sergio Aguero struck twice inside 46 minutes to take his personal tally to eight goals in his first five Premier league appearances.

But Fulham staged a stirring fightback to recover through goals from Bobby Zamora and Danny Murphy.

The draw meant City missed the chance to exert maximum pressure on neighbours Manchester United who started the day level on points with Mancini's side at the head of the table. Fulham claimed their third point of the season thanks to a performance that gave hope to new manager Martin Jol after a difficult start.

The Cottagers were spurred by the added incentive of attempting to haul themselves off the foot of the Premier League table following the previous day's results.

But after a positive start, Jol's side quickly found themselves pushed back as City shook off the disappointment of their midweek draw against Napoli in the Champions League and took control of the game.

Mancini's team has carried a familiar look during the opening weeks of the season and the manager once again left Carlo Tevez on the bench and placed his faith in the attacking quartet of Aguero, Samir Nasri, Edin Dzeko and David Silva.

Fulham's defenders found themselves continually stretched to near breaking point under their constant threat.

City were ahead after 18 minutes when Silva turned provider and Aguero provided the first example of the finishing that has already established him as one of the league's outstanding strikers. Gareth Barry played the ball into Silva's feet and the former Valencia man picked out Aguero who had moved into space just inside the Fulham area. The home side claimed the Argentine was in an offside position when he received the ball, and television replays suggested they had a case, but Aguero finished easily past Mark Schwarzer to put City in control. From that point Fulham struggled vainly to gain a foothold in the first half. Yet for all City's dominance, Mancini's side created little in the way of clear opportunities and when they did, found Schwarzer to be in impressive form.

Hope of a recovery seemed to disappear, however, when City doubled their lead within 12 seconds of the restart.

From the kick-off, Silva rolled the ball back to Clichy whose long ball forward was nodded down by Dzeko into the path of Aguero who finished from 20 yards.

Fulham fought back well, clawing a goal back through an excellent 55th minute strike from Zamora.

But Jol's side didn't have long to wait before completing a stirring recovery with skipper Murphy's deflected shot finding a way past Hart in the 75th minute.




http://www.thestatesman.net/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=383871&catid=41

[WhiteJC]

 
Fulham striker Bobby Zamora targets England recall after missing 2010 World Cup through injury
The 30-year-old did not start at Craven Cottage at the weekend because of a niggling ankle injury, but after coming on was instrumental in securing a point against Manchester City

Fulham forward Bobby Zamora has admitted that he still has hopes of adding to his single international cap but needs to first shrug off some of his long term injuries.

Zamora was a key figure in Fulham's fixture against Manchester City at the weekend, coming off the bench to score a well placed goal, helping to secure a 2-2 draw and a well deserved point for his club.

And now the 30-year-old admits he hopes to regain a place in Fabio Capello's England squad.

"It's obviously an honour to play for England or even be in the squad, so I'll keep working away," he told reporters.
"I'll just keep working here and if I do get in there then brilliant."

The striker did admit however that maintaining his fitness was paramount, suggesting that he would sacrifice being part of his teams starting eleven in order to reach 100 per cent fitness.

"In terms of my ankle, I'd rather rest to be honest."

"It's stiffness more than anything in the ankle joint but we're working on getting it looser after the injury.

"It's still a little bit niggly but I'm trying to keep on top of it.

"Hopefully, I can get 100 per cent fit and carry on.

"It's just a disruptive injury that I had last year, this year, that flared up a little bit."

When asked about Fulham's somewhat lacklustre start to the season, Zamora stated that it was far too early to be making any judgement on league positions.

"I don't think you can tell anything until a good 10-15 games into the season.

"One win and we're up the table, so it means nothing at the minute in terms of looking at the table."





http://www.goal.com/en-gb/news/2896/premier-league/2011/09/19/2673564/fulham-striker-bobby-zamora-targets-england-recall-after-missing-?

[WhiteJC]

 
Against Fulham!

Now moving on from the Old Trafford show we need to shift our focus to a Carling Cup game against Fulham at Stamford Bridge.

I think in this game we need to put some youngsters in there and mix them with experienced players who are not getting enough playing time.

My lineup would be:

Hilario, Ferreira, Luiz, Alex, Bertrand, Romeu, McEachran, Lampard, Malouda, Lukaku and Kalou / Anelka.

This is surely a good side to take on Fulham and beat them and also not disrespecting the cup. The four youngsters that I put in are Bertrand, Romeu, McEachran and Lukaku.

I really do think these four will play. I did put Lampard for his leadership and his experience and he can help the youngsters around especially in midfield and also he only got 45 minutes at Old Trafford.

Mata, I think we should rest him and get him prepared for Saturday. As for Drogba, I would put him on the bench and put him on in the second half as he only came back now from the injury he got.

I would rest Mikel, Meireles and Ramires for Saturday to start in midfield with Torres and Sturridge and Mata up front.

This line up for Saturday is mixed with experience and youth. I will give players like Alex and Ferreira some playing time as they have rarely played recently.

Malouda will be on the left hand side while Lukaku will be our striker. He could use this game to get more used to Chelsea, to his teammates and try to get on the score sheet.

I think this is the right lineup as it will give some youngsters a chance to play and give some experienced players some minutes as they rarely got this season and also rest important players for Saturday.

I am sure AVB will try to use his whole squad and I am sure he will use this game. Surely this lineup can beat Fulham.




Read more: http://www.chelsea.vitalfootball.co.uk/article.asp?a=525422#ixzz1YTKOXZcQ

[WhiteJC]

 
Our Duff Dilemma

True or False: Damien Duff did not complete a single pass in the second half on Sunday.

Okay, that's a trick question. He didn't even attempt one.

Here is yesterday's passing chart. I don't know if the Guardian staffer fell asleep or it really was that atrocious.



What may be worse than the sheer lack of passes is where three of the four completed outfield passes went to: behind and to his left. We all know Duff has no right foot to speak of, and granted there is no way to tell what foot he made these passes with, but it still shows a clear lack of confidence with his weaker foot.

I wrote in the round table that I think Duff's switch/inversion to the right made a huge different in his season and the clubs. But what has changed since Jol took over?

Is it fatigue? Although he was injured the final 7 matches, last season he played a full 90 minutes in 13 matches and played about 55% of the total minutes. This season he has played the full 90 all but once (yesterday), being on the pitch about 93% of the time. Additionally, he played in every Europa League Qualifier, making the full 90 four times and being subbed off in the 86th twice, 89th and 66th (for context, he was subbed out after the 80th minute just four times all of last season).

Is it a change of tactics? Last week the offense ran through Duff, where he unsuccessfully attempted 12 crosses and 7 corners. The week. Last season, and even against Newcastle this season, Duff operated as a linkup player that made many short passes (some behind and to his left) and not too many crosses.

Is he missing Simon Davies? Okay, there's no easy way to prove that. But it could, considering we don't really have a real crosser of the ball besides Riise (who's hardly been doing that this season).

I'm not saying Duff should be dropped immediately, but his form is serious cause for concern. Would rather see Kasami, if not Frei, start in his stead on Wednesday.

Lastly, and sorry for the shameless self- promotion, but the few of us in Baltimore and surrounding area (hereby named the Charm City Cottagers) have a website up. Do check that out to see if and when we're watching a match.




http://cravencottagenewsround.wordpress.com/2011/09/20/our-duff-dilemma/?

[WhiteJC]

 
CHRIS BAIRD SAYS FULHAM ON THE UP

Fulham defender Chris Baird said the draw that 'felt like a win' should help give Fulham all the belief they need to start rising up the Premier League table.

The Whites are still without a win and only have West Brom below them after five games, but Martin Jol's men should be full of confidence when they travel to the Hawthorns next week, according to the Northern Ireland international.

"It did feel like a win, " Baird said. "Being 2-0 down against Manchester City, it's always going to be a tough call, but we dug deep in the second half and were much much better.

"We knew we had to be and we're delighted with the point. I think we deserved what we got out of the game.

"Hopefully this result will give us a boost, and if we show the qualities we showed today, we'll climb that table."

Fulham had 24 hours less than City to prepare after respective midweek European ties, but it did not show in the second half - another cause for pride in the Fulham ranks.

"I don't know where all that energy came from but we had to do something there after what we showed in the first half," Baird said. "That was the most important thing.

"We showed the quality that we have got and thankfully we did get a point out of it and we could even have gone on to win it."




http://www.fulhamweb.co.uk/news/Chris-Baird-says-Fulham-on-the-up.aspx

[WhiteJC]

 
Sidwell warns Fulham not to expect a low key Chelsea

STEVE SIDWELL says there is not a cat in hell's chance of Chelsea taking tomorrow night's Carling Cup tie against Fulham lightly – because he knows the mentality of the Stamford Bridge set-up.

Sidwell returns to his old club with the Whites for a match the Blues might be forgiven for not prioritising, given the importance to them of the Premier and Champions Leagues.

But the midfielder remembers all too well how things were when he was at Chelsea in 2007-8 and does not expect it to have changed under Andre Villas-Boas.

"They definitely won't take it lightly," Sidwell said without hesitation.

"It's only five games and you're in the final and when I was there, Jose Mourinho always said it's silverware and a good day out for the fans. He wanted to win it for the supporters and it's going to be the same under this management. Any sort of silverware is important."

Sidwell says he has nothing but happy memories of his time at the Bridge, even if it was a culture-shock and even though he ultimately missed out on trophies, with the Blues falling just short post-Mourinho.

"Going from a club like Reading to a superstar place like Chelsea was an eye-opener but it was great and I loved every minute of it," he said.

"It did take a bit of getting used to. At Reading we'd just been promoted to the Premier League and were a Championship team trying to establish ourselves as a Premier League team.

"The pressures were greater [at Chelsea] because you have to win every game, it's as simple as that. When they are spending that sort of money, they expect you to win things and to do it week in, week out and that pressure drives players on.

"At Chelsea, it was a place full of big names, but all of them were very good to me. I learnt lots in training and some of the professionals there were the best I've worked with. It was a joy to be there.

"I never had any regrets going. I felt I came on in leaps and bounds there, being in and around top class people day in, day out."




http://www.ealinggazette.co.uk/sport/fulham-fc-ealing/2011/09/20/sidwell-warns-fulham-not-to-expect-a-low-key-chelsea-64767-29450638/?

[WhiteJC]

 
Chelsea - Fulham Preview: Cottagers out to end six-game winless streak in League Cup derby match
The hosts failed to win their next four games the last time they lost to Manchester United, but Fernando Torres will be out to make up for his astonishing miss at Old Trafford

PROBABLE LINEUPS

CHELSEA
Cech
Bosingwa, Luiz, Terry, Cole
Mikel, Romeu, Lampard
Malouda, Torres, Lukaku

FULHAM
Schwarzer
Baird, Kelly, Hangeland, JA Riise
Dempsey, Murphy, Sidwell, Duff
Zamora, Ruiz

It's likely that Andres Villas-Boas will afford Fernando Torres the opportunity to start and get straight back on the goalscoring wagon after the Spaniard's remarkable miss against Manchester United at the weekend. Elsewhere, Oriel Romeu and Romelu Lukaku could be given starts, with Jon Obi Mikel and David Luiz also in line to figure.

Martin Jol may give new signing Bryan Ruiz another chance to prove himself after a lacklustre start to life in west London. Otherwise, it seems likely that the visitors will stay as faithful as possible to the team that drew at the weekend with Manchester City in the hope of giving as good a showing as possible of themselves in the League Cup derby fixture.


DID YOU KNOW?
No Chelsea player other than Juan Mata has scored more than one goal this season.

The last time Chelsea lost to Manchester United, they went on a four-match winless streak.
Frank Lampard has created more goalscoring chances than anybody else in the Premier League this season, with 14.

Fulham have not recorded a win in six outings, drawing their last three.

The last time the two met, in the Premier League back in February, the game finished a 0-0 stalemate as Clint Dempsey missed a penalty.

Fulham have been particularly vulnerable in the 10 minutes leading up to half-time, with over half of their goals conceded this term being during that window.

[WhiteJC]

 
Fortress Fulham

Bobby Zamora believes Fulham could have claimed all three points on Sunday after producing a stunning second-half comeback against Manchester City at the Cottage.

Whilst Fulham were rewarded for their efforts with a share of the spoils, Zamora credited City goalkeeper Joe Hart for denying Fulham maximum points.

"It felt like a win [on Sunday]," said Zamora. "Obviously we were pleased with the result because we've all seen what Manchester City are capable of so far this season.

"We came back from two-nil down against a team that have set the Premier League alight this season, and if wasn't for Joe Hart making some great saves, it could have been more. We could have nicked the win.

"I think people had written us off to start with and they certainly would have at two-nil down. Against Manchester City it's never going to be easy and the Manager pointed out a few things at half-time and we took those on board in the second half.

"We've got a fighting spirit here and Craven Cottage has been a fortress for us over the last couple of years. We're a well drilled team and we've always been hard to beat at the Cottage. The guys that came on also did a great job.

"We showed our spirit again [against City] and got a good result. As I said, we were probably unlucky not to have taken more than a point in the end."

Zamora got Fulham's recovery started against on Sunday afternoon with a thunderous strike from the edge of the area and after being frustrated against Blackburn a week earlier, Martin Jol's team will be looking to climb the League table when they challenge West Bromwich Albion this weekend.

"It wasn't the greatest touch to be honest and I just wanted to hit the target," explained Zamora of his strike. "It's always nice to score a goal and I was pleased to do it against such a good goalkeeper.

"I love getting the ball in, or around, the box. If I can't shoot I'm always looking to set someone else up. I was pleased to get on the score sheet and help us get a point.

"It's a great point and it's kick-started us to carry on. Against Blackburn, we had something like 46 crosses, which is unreal! To have 46 crosses in a game and only come away with a point was disappointing.

"It was an important point [on Sunday] but it's so close to the start of the season. One or two wins and you're right up there. We're not looking at the table too much at the moment. I don't think you can tell anything until 10 or 15 games into the season."

Fulham fans will be hoping Zamora's fine early season form will put him in contention for further international appearances ahead of next summer's Euro 2012 Finals and the striker is clearly intent on doing everything possible on the pitch to represent his country again.

"It's an honour to play for England or even be in the squad," said Zamora. "I'll keep working away but we've got some great strikers in England and a lot of players doing well. If I'm in there then superb."





Read more: http://www.fulhamfc.com/Club/News/NewsArticles/2011/September/ZamoraCityReaction.aspx?#ixzz1YUf3YXwT

[WhiteJC]

 
Chelsea    v    Fulham

Carling Cup third round
Venue: Stamford Bridge Date: Wednesday, 21 September Kick-off: 1945 BST Coverage: Watch highlights on The League Cup Show at 2320 BST, BBC One; listen on BBC Radio 5 live and BBC local radio; text commentary on the BBC Sport website

TEAM NEWS
Chelsea boss Andre Villas-Boas is expected to make a number of changes for Wednesday's Carling Cup match.

Nicolas Anelka and John Obi Mikel are among those in contention for a starting place.

Fulham are without injured defender Aaron Hughes, who is nursing a hamstring problem.

Andrew Johnson is carrying a knock and Bobby Zamora may be rested, meaning deadline-day signing Bryan Ruiz is likely to feature for the Cottagers.

MATCH PREVIEW
Even in defeat, Chelsea showed against Manchester United on Sunday that they have enough quality to be considered strong title contenders, while winning the Champions League remains the priority for owner Roman Abramovich.

But with both Manchester clubs lighting up the Premier League and the battle for European glory as tough as ever, the domestic cup competitions could yet turn out to be Chelsea's best route to a trophy.

That makes the Carling Cup potentially important for the Blues, while matches against Chelsea are always important for their west London neighbours Fulham, who have every reason to feel upbeat.

Fulham are still awaiting their first Premier League win under manager Martin Jol but Sunday's fightback from 2-0 down to draw 2-2 with Manchester City could be the spark they needed to get their season going.

MATCH FACTS
Head-to-head

Chelsea have won 42 and Fulham only 11 of the 75 previous matches between these clubs.
They have been drawn against each other twice in the League Cup - in 1985 and 2004 - and Chelsea won both ties.
Chelsea

The Blues have scored in 21 consecutive League Cup matches.
They were knocked out at this stage by Newcastle last season - the second time in 10 years Chelsea have fallen at the first hurdle in this competition.
Fulham

Fulham have not been beyond the third round since reaching the quarter-finals in 2004-05.
They have not knocked a fellow top-flight side out since beating Birmingham in 2004.




http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/14910268.stm?

[WhiteJC]

 
Bobby wants to be in Fab's plans

Bobby Zamora has confirmed that he wants to work his way back into England coach Fabio Capello's squad ahead of Euro 2012 next summer.
The 30-year-old Fulham forward has only managed one international cap, after an injury forced him out of the Three Lions' squad for the 2010 World Cup.

Zamora has continued to struggle to get back to his full match fitness due to a myriad of injury problems throughout last term, but is now aiming to rediscover his top form during this season in the hope he can work his way back into Capello's plans.

Zamora, who came off the bench to score Fulham's first goal as they fought back from two-down to secure a 2-2 draw against Manchester City on Sunday, said: "It's obviously an honour to play for England or even be in the squad, so I'll keep working away.

"I'll just keep working here and if I do get in there then brilliant."

On his latest injury problem, he added: "In terms of my ankle, I'd rather rest to be honest.

"It's stiffness more than anything in the ankle joint but we're working on getting it looser after the injury. It's still a little bit niggly but I'm trying to keep on top of it.

"Hopefully, I can get 100 per cent fit and carry on. It's just a disruptive injury that I had last year, this year, that flared up a little bit."




http://www.eatsleepsport.com/international-football/bobby-wants-to-be-in-fabs-plans-1290666.html?#.TniBqHPHo98

[WhiteJC]

 
Ogunjimi didn't want England
Belgian international still moving to Spain

Belgian international Marvin Ogunjimi insists he never thought about moving to England once he knew he could seal a switch to Spain.

The Genk striker signed for Real Mallorca on transfer deadline day, but since then the move was not ratified by Fifa as the documents were signed too late.

Ogunjimi will still move to the Balearic Islands, but will now have to wait until January.

"I have always loved the Spanish league, so it a great feeling for me to be going to play there," he told skysports.com.

"I am looking forward to going there in the New Year."

Asked about the potential interest from Newcastle and Fulham, he replied: "I was not aware directly of their interest, it was through the newspapers, however I had already made my mind up about Spain, maybe one day I will play in the Premier League because it is also a top league."




http://www.skysports.com/story/0,,11678_7190412,00.html?